At the Piano
by SporksN'Knives
Summary: My version of an extended ending for the anime. Excuse any awkward writing, this is a couple of years old. Got this off of my old DeviantART account TamaxHaru 3


**Grabbed this off of my old DeviantART account. Again, I apologize for any awkward wording or writing overall...I wrote this when I was 14. XD**

**Anyway, Enjoy~! **

* * *

The sparkling trails of the fireworks glittering in the onyx night sky never ceased to to put a smile on Haruhi's face. She found herself standing in the courtyard of the elite Ouran Academy, staring up at the dancing display with the members of the Ouran Host Club, a group of attractive young men who seemed to live to entertain the girls who adored them.

In her right hand rested the hand of the host club's self-appointed king, Tamaki Suoh. Her left hand was settled on his arm, which lightly graced her waist, keeping her near him. She didn't mind, really. What she did mind, however, was the fact that she was still wearing the white dress which had been part of the 18th century cosplay the host club had been going to wear for the Ouran Cultural Fair. There had been a frilly pink overcoat and a healthy dose of hair extensions had accompanied the dress before, but she had removed them both so she could continue chasing after Tamaki. Why she had done that was a long story. One she would have rather told around the campfire ten years from this night. At the moment, she had enjoying the night's festivities with her classmates and fellow host club members.

Haruhi felt Tamaki's fingers intertwining with her own. She looked down at their hands, feeling a light blush tint her cheeks. She hoped the fluttering cyans and rosy pinks would be enough to hide it. She wasn't sure why she did, but she held his hand right back. She didn't know what this was, and she couldn't classify it as anything. She couldn't say it was love, for instance, because she had never been in love. 'I'll find out sooner or later' she thought.

Tamaki glanced down at Haruhi, feeling her hand tighten around his. He looked over at Kyoya, who stood on the other side of Haruhi. He repositioned his prescription glasses on his nose and nodded with a glint in his onyx eyes that seemed to tell him 'Go for it'. Tamaki whispered something in Haruhi's ear, and after she nodded the two of themset off together across the courtyard and into the school building.

"Hey, where're they going?" Kaoru asked, looking from Kyoya to his brother. Hikaru's eyes narrowed. "Why would I care?" he snapped, turning his full attention to the fireworks. Kaoru looked back to Kyoya, slightly wounded by his brother's response.

"Tamaki went to take care of some unfinished business," he replied. Kaoru smiled, knowing exactly what Kyoya meant.

"I was wondering when he was going to brave up and do it," he said, half to himself and half to those around him. Hikaru snorted as if he didn't care.

Tamaki led Haruhi into the school building and up the elegant staircase within. He continued to hold her hand, even when she politely pointed out that he didn't have to hold her hand; she knew where they were going.

"Fathers are entrusted with the right to hold their daughters' hands, aren't they?" he replied, smiling at her. "It's alright. Just a minute longer." Haruhi looked forward and saw the music room's large door looming before them.

Tamaki let go of her hand to open the door and led her through. Haruhi just went along with it, and smiled as Tamaki enthusiasticallybounded over to the piano sitting by the window. Haruhi followed him over, and sat on the couch angled toward the instrument. 'Lady Ēclaire sat right here only yesterday, practically ordering Tamaki-senpai to play for her.' Haruhi swallowed. 'He's playing for me…and it's his idea.' Haruhi found her hands trembling and resisted the sudden urge to sit on them in order to hide them from Tamaki.

Tamaki looked over at Haruhi once and recalled something she had confided in him before.

'If I had to choose, Rose's theme from the Titanic movie would be one of my favorite songs played on a piano.' She had said. Tamaki stored this away with every intention of learning and perfecting it just for this moment.

He placed his hands over the keys, drawing a shallow breath before hitting the bass note that spelled the beginning of the song. He had searched and searched for a version mixing three of the movie's songs into one, and finally came up with the perfect blend of the three beautiful melodies.

Haruhi wasn't sure where Tamaki was going with the beginning of the song, but she found herself unable to resist a smile when she heard the familiar melody of the opening track, "Hymn to the Sea". She couldn't help smiling whenever Tamaki played the piano.

Haruhi studied him as he played, and didn't notice the transition from "Hymn to the Sea" to the track titled "The Portrait" until it was already done. Haruhi suddenly realised how much effort Tamaki put into the arrangement just for her. She rose from her seat on the couch and walked toward the piano, her eyes still darting between the ivory keys and Tamaki's face, peaceful and at ease.

Tamaki knew she was watching him, and once looked up at her and saw the smile he had once said was 'completely irresistable'. The last person to really see her smile as cutely as she was now was Bosanoda, or as the host club called him, Casanova or Bosanova. Tamaki hadn't had the heart to admit it then, but it was when he realised that seeing Haruhi sitting with Bosanoda, giving him the cute smile he adored most about her, that he loved her. Not just in the fatherly state of affection, but he loved her as a man would love a woman.

Tamaki turned his drifting attention back to the music, adeptly shifting to the entrancing love theme from the entire movie. At this he saw Haruhi move around the piano, and Tamaki was acutely aware of her presence near the window.

The final notes faded into the smothering silence of the club room, and Tamaki lowered his hands to the keys and nervously scraped away a mark which turned out to be a shadow from the window. He looked back up and saw Haruhi at the right end of the piano.

"That…" she began, uncharacteristically at an evident loss for words. "You…"

"I learned that just for you, Haruhi," he murmured. He found the words catching in his throat, though he had said similar things to the girls he entertained on a regular basis.

"Seriously?" Haruhi asked, a light blush dancing on her cheeks.

Tamaki blushed himself. "Yes."

Haruhi couldn't believe the words about to leave her mouth. "W-would you teach me sometime, senpai?"

Tamaki smiled and nodded. "Absolutely." He knew that this was the time to tell her. "Haruhi…come here for a moment, please?"

Haruhi slowly walked over to him as he replaced the cover over the piano keys for her to sit there, his reasoning being so that he could stand and still be at her level.

"Haruhi, there's something I need to tell you." He began, searching her chocolate brown eyes for a hint of her smile to give him some confidence. "Driving away in the back of that car today, I felt more guilt than actual sadness. I…I felt guilty for leaving all of you even though I thought you were all put out by me. I was still leaving for selfish reasons."

"It wasn't selfish to want to see your mother, Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi gently pointed out, reaching a hand to place on his arm.

"That was all that mattered to me at the time." He looked up at her and locked eyes with her. "I realize what you meant when you reached out to me and said you loved the host club. I don't want to say it and find out I got it wrong…so would you tell me what you meant?"

Haruhi's heart sped up. He had known what he meant. She was going to tell him later, but the opportunity was presenting itself sooner than anticipated.

"I wasn't sure why I meant what I meant, senpai," she murmured, looking down at the material of the dress she wore. Her hands were down at her sides, supporting her so she wouldn't lose her balance and fall off the piano. "What I meant by me loving the host club was…well, that was my roundabout way of telling you that…that…"

"That what?"

Haruhi swallowed nervously. "…that I love you."

Tamaki felt his heart skip a beat at her soft-spoken statement. "I was right," he murmured. Haruhi looked down again, her heart about to break through her chest it was beating so quickly. She could swear Tamaki could hear every beat from where he stood a few feet away.

"Haruhi, you don't have to be embarrassed," he said quietly, gently touching her chin to bring her eyes to meet his. Haruhi noticed that his eyes, which lay somewhere on the color spectrum between blue and violet, were every bit as sincere as his words. "You don't."

"Senpai…"

"Haruhi, I love you, too."

Haruhi felt her heart leap within her even while her stomach ached in disbelief. He…Tamaki loved her?

"Wait…what?"

Tamaki repeated himself. "I love you."

He knew he was blushing profusely, or at least as much as Haruhi was. After a moment of silence, the girl sitting on the piano finally said something.

"Tamaki-senpai, I don't know what to say," she whispered, her face highlighted by the fireworks still dancing in the sky outside.

Tamaki gently placed a hand on her cheek. "You don't have to say anything,Haruhi," he murmured, leaning closer to her. He expected Haruhi to freeze where she sat, but he was surprised when she leaned in and met his lips with hers halfway.

All Haruhi could think about was how soft Tamaki's lips were. All she could concentrate on was not smiling as she kissed him. Before very long, she couldn't help herself, and found herself slightly laughing. This caused Tamaki to start laughing, and it was then that they realised that laughing during a first kiss wasn't the easiest thing in the world to accomplish.

After a second, Haruhi regained her composure and brought her hand up to his arm as she felt his hand gracing the back of her head, pulling her closer to him.

Only the fireworks finale brought them back to the real world, and Tamaki pulled away from Haruhi and looked her in the eyes. He was ecstatic to see his favorite smile on her face and the cute little gimmer in her eyes.

"The finale's starting," he said, holding out his hand for her to take. Haruhi smiled and took it, stepping down from the bench and to the floor. She walked with Tamaki over to the window, where they had the perfect view of the display, with the clock tower to the side.

As she looked up at the glittering sparks suspended in the air, she felt Tamaki's arm wrap around her shoulders, hugging her near him. Haruhi allowed herself to rest her head against him. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth and savored the smell of ridiculously expensive cologne that to her meant Tamaki. If that were all she had to go by, those two things together would have given her enough reason to believe that whatever was hanging off of her shoulder or crouching in a corner growing mushrooms was Tamaki.

True, she was a commoner, and there were plenty of things she needed in her life…

But she couldn't think of anything to ask for with Tamaki at her side.

"You know," she thought aloud. "Just because it's the finale doesn't necessarily mean it's over." She glanced up at the blond host club king with her signature smile, and knew that he knew exactly what she meant.

Haruhi returned her gaze to the fireworks, which were still going at a lightning pace. One song kept running through her head, and she felt it fit the moment perfectly.

It was the piece Tamaki had just played for her.

Meanwhile, outside…

"Do you think Tama-chan had enough courage to tell Haru-chan he loved her?" Honey asked innocently, clutching at Usa-chan. His cousin Mori merely shrugged. "Who knows?"

"We could never know. Tono's an idiot, enough said." Hikaru replied over his shoulder.

"No, I think he was smart enough tonight," Kyoya said over them. "He's coming out of the building now. Haruhi's with him."

"Well, he could have told her and she turned him down." Hikaru said, hope in his voice

"No, he would be in his corner if that were the case, Hikaru," Kaoru pointed out.

"And look at their faces," Kyoya breathed. "He told her. She didn't turn him down."

The night went on as any other, only after Haruhi and Tamaki returned to the group, Tamaki watched for the first time Haruhi's back was turned to stick his tongue out at Hikaru. 'Nah nah nah nah nah nah! Daddy got her fi-irst!' he seemed to say. Hikaru crossed his arms. 'Tono…you idiot.'


End file.
